The primary goal of this Training Program is to develop academic leaders among Neonatologists, Maternal- Fetal Medicine (MFM) Specialists, and Basic Scientists who know how to work together collaboratively and have the capacity, based on personal meritorious accomplishments in research, to identify, understand, and solve important problems in perinatal biology and medicine. This training program provides basic and clinical- translational research training, including concepts and techniques in perinatal/developmental physiology, biochemistry, and cell and molecular biology. To our knowledge, ours is the only T32 Training Program designed with this focus, structure, and goal. Training is for 2-3 years in preparation for academic careers in departments of Pediatrics and Obstetrics & Gynecology or in basic science departments with direct links to the clinical departments. Trainees will be appointed after demonstrating research commitment and accomplishment during their late 1st or 2nd yr. of fellowship/postdoctoral training, which can be supplemented by 4th and/or 5th years of training as Fellow/Instructors. During their 1st T32 program year, trainees work with faculty advisors to select research projects and mentors. Research mentors, projects, and labs are selected among current T32 faculty, but can include the breadth of faculty and research opportunities and facilities on the UC Anschutz Medical Campus. Each area includes clinical-translational, whole animal, organ, cell, and molecular research so that a trainee can participate at one or several levels of biological investigation. Trainees attend seminars that review intrauterine development and fetal, maternal, and neonatal physiology. Courses dealing with cell culture, genetics, developmental biology, cell and molecular biology, isotope applications, biostatistics, data processing and informatics, graphics and imaging, and bioethics are included. Formal training in Responsible Conduct of Research and the value of Diversity is required. Seminar programs in research design, abstract and manuscript preparation, and grant writing are provided. The 2nd and 3rd yrs. are devoted to the completion of the research projects, further career development education and training, and expansion into new areas of research and new research techniques as appropriate. Each trainee develops institutional animal and/or clinical research protocols to address technical and ethical issues involved in animal and/or human research. Trainees plan and conduct their research projects as independently as they can, but with full faculty mentoring. This program provides multidisciplinary training in basic and clinical-translational biological investigation, integrating state-of-the-art research techniques with important questions in perinatal medicine and biology. This approach equips the trainees with the capacity to move more successfully into academic careers in either basic or clinical-translational science. Over many years, graduates of this training program have achieved high academic positions nationally and internationally and have had major impact on developing and supporting research training programs. Attaining such ultimate research/academic leadership among our trainees is a major aim of this program.